Kreuzberg 61

This walk takes you to a part of Berlin that is changing rapidly. New shops and restaurants come and go, so chances are you’ll discover something new yourself, or find that one of the listings is no longer there. If this is your first visit to Berlin, don't start with this walk, as its main focus is eating, drinking, and shopping.



Our walk begins with a breath of fresh air at former airport Tempelhof, now a city park. From here, you can stroll directly into the vibrant Schillerkiez, which has many great places to eat. Make sure to stop by the former Kindl-brewery for some contemporary art.



Next, follow the somewhat unsightly Karl-Marx-Straße and continue until you reach Rixdorf. Here you will get a sense of Berlin's earliest days: This feels like a tiny village in the German countryside. Richardplatz, with an old forge in the middle of the square, is the center of this small town, that has been swallowed up by the city. Take your time to look around. Then walk back through Richardstraße, and enjoy a beer and the breathtaking views from the run-of-the-mill shopping center.



After this, you will enter a part of town known as Kreuzkölln, with many hipster bars, cafés, and restaurants. Here, craft beer and drip coffee rule, but you will also find a great record store, experimental art galleries, and of course the quintessential Berlin photo booth (Photoautomat). Follow Friedelstraße, which is full of fun sidewalk cafés, until you reach Maybachufer, which often has a Turkish market or flea market. Another option is to take a boat tour and admire Berlin's bridges—there are 64 in all!

This walk is quite long, but very interesting, because Kreuzberg is such a varied neighborhood. The walk starts with two great museums: Berlinische Galerie and Jüdisches Museum. Because they are quite far from the U-Bahn station, you could also visit them separately another time. In this case, the walk will start at a local urban farming project, where organic vegetables are grown for use in their mobile kitchen. Across the street is a huge art supplies store.



The walk continues through vibrant Oranienstraße, which also has a quirky museum and a beautiful gallery. Head to Mariannenplatz and the popular Markthalle Neun for a great street food market. Then cross the Landwehrkanal to head south.



Here, you will immediately notice that you have left the raw area of Kreuzberg 36 and entered the friendly Kreuzberg 61 district. Stroll down scenic streets with tall trees and children playing, past shops and restaurants. After passing one of the many World War II air-raid shelters, that can still be found all over Berlin, you will walk down Bergmannstraße. Here, you can visit some old cemeteries, and then continue to Chamissoplatz, to get a sense of the old pre-war Berlin.



If you still have the time and energy, be sure to visit two of Berlin's best known street food vendors a little bit farther down: Curry 36 and Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap. You can take your food with you to nearby Park am Gleisdreieck, and enjoy it sitting on a park bench, or in the grass, Berlin-style.